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25

"Come then, dear father! On my shoulders I
Will bear thee, nor will think the task severe.
Whatever lot awaits us, there shall be

One danger and one safety for us both.
Little Iulus my companion be;

And at a distance let my wife observe

Our footsteps. You, my servants, take good heed
Of what I say. Beyond the city stands.
Upon a rising ground a temple old

Of the deserted Ceres, and near by

An ancient cypress tree, for many years
By the religion of our sires preserved.

To this, by different ways, we all will come
Together. And do thou, my father, here
Take in thy hands our country's guardian gods
And our Penates; I, who have just come forth
From war and recent slaughter, may not touch
Such sacred things, till in some flowing stream
I wash." This said, a tawny lion's skin
On my broad shoulders and my stooping neck.
I throw, and take my burden. At my side
Little Iulus links his hand in mine,
Following his father with unequal steps.

Behind us steps my wife. Through paths obscure
We wend; and I, who but a moment since
Dreaded no flying weapons of the Greeks,

Nor dense battalions of the adverse hosts,

Now start in terror at each rustling breeze,
And every common sound, held in suspense
With equal fears for those attending me
And for the burden that I bear along.

Iulus (i-ū ́lus). — lam'bent: touching lightly (literally, "licking "). — Anchises (an-ki ́ses). — Idæ ́an woods: the pine woods on Mt. Ida, south of Troy. The meteor marked the destination of the fugitives. au'gury: omen. The ancients were convinced that all important events were foretold by some marvel or portent. Anchises felt sure that a new Troy would spring from the ashes of the old, through the efforts of his descendants. I will bear thee: Anchises was not only old, but he had been crippled by a lightning stroke. - Ce'res: the goddess of agriculture. - cypress tree: see note on sacred groves (page 478). — guardian gods: the sacred symbols of the city, which had been brought to Eneas for safe keeping. — Pena'tes: the gods of a man's own household.

SEVEN YEARS OLD

A. C. SWINBURNE

ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE (1837– ) is an English poet whose 5 work is admired for its melody and its perfection of form. His poems to

5

10

Here across the garden wall can I hear strange

children call,

Watch them play,

From the windowed seat above, whence the goodlier child I love

Is away.

Here the sights we saw together moved his fancy like a feather

To and fro,

Now to wander, and thereafter to the sunny storm of laughter

Loud and low

Sights engraven on storied pages where man's tale of seven swift ages

All was told

Seen of eyes yet bright from heaven - for the lips that laughed were seven

CHARACTER AND REPUTATION

HENRY WARD BEECHER

There are few who do not know the difference between character and reputation, though there are few who have analyzed and defined their own ideas. A man's real inward habits and mental condition form his character. This will work out to the surface in some degree, and 5 in some persons much more than in others.

But the appearance which a man presents to the world, the outward exhibition, gives him his reputation. A man's character is his reality. It is the acting and moving force of his being. Reputation is the impression 10 which he has made upon other men; it is their thought of him. Our character is always in ourselves, but our reputation is in others.

It is true that, ordinarily, among honest men, the two go together. A man who lives out of doors among 15 men, and who gives his fellows a fair chance to see his conduct, will find that he is accurately measured and correctly judged.

But it sometimes happens that men are much better than they have credit for being, and as often men are 20 much worse than they appear to be; that is, men may have a reputation either better or worse than their character. Thus, there are many men who are reputed to

be hard, severe, stern, who at heart are full of all kindness, and would go farther and fare harder to serve a friend or to relieve a real case of trouble than anybody else around them. On the other hand, some people are thought 5 to be very gentle, very sweet in manners, all smiles, promises, and politeness; but at heart they are cold and selfish. Character is bad and reputation good in such cases.

It is quite easy for a man to get himself a reputation. He has only to practice upon the imagination and credu10 lity of the public. If he takes pleasure in being thought better than he is, if he chooses to live in a vain show, if he wears a mask and his life is occupied in covering up his real feelings by feigned and false ones, he may have a measure of success.

15 But the same amount of labor and care which gives him but a flimsy credit, and which would fall before the least scrutiny or severity of test, would give him a substantial reality. He labors as hard for a sham as would suffice to give him a truth.

20 Indeed, it is easier to build a character than to sustain a false reputation. Once let a man's habits be laid, and solidly laid, in truth, honor, and virtue, and the more the man is tried the more he profits by it. Such men are revealed to the world by misfortunes. The troubles which 25 threaten them only end in letting people know how strong and real and good they are.

But when a man has learned to live upon a mere show,